The present invention relates to using a communications device to interface a plain old telephone system (POTS) terminal to a communications network. In particular, it relates to a communications device that appears to the POTS terminal to be a telephone network.
POTS terminals have been deployed by many merchants, small and large, to handle retail sales transactions. These terminals typically have been designed to be plugged into a phone line (e.g., an analog or ISDN phone line, in various regions of the world) and to connect through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) with a host, when a sales transaction needs to be processed. The terminal listens for a dial tone, dials, connects and exchanges data with a host system.
POTS terminals have not gained general acceptance for other, non-merchant applications, such as vending machines, because of the small transaction size and the complexity of providing telephone connections. Processing small transactions with dial-up connections is often cost prohibitive. Providing a telephone connection is complex, because the owner of the vending machine typically does not own or operate the facility where the vending machine is located.
For POTS terminals in general, obstacles to migration to data packet technologies include the cost and complexity of replacing incumbent terminals.
Given the pricing and installation advantages of wireless and other data packet transmission services, an opportunity arises for methods and devices that interface a POTS terminal to a packet-based communication network, while appearing to the POTS terminal to be a telephone network.